


Yours To Keep

by smythebray



Series: Follower Drabble Giveaway [1]
Category: Glee
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-30
Updated: 2012-12-30
Packaged: 2017-11-22 23:04:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/615363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smythebray/pseuds/smythebray
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Why is Rachel so uptight about her double date with Quinn and Blaine?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Yours To Keep

“Rachel! Are you ready yet? We’re going to be late!” Jesse called out just outside of Rachel’s bedroom.

“I’m coming! I’m almost done.” Rachel called back.

Rachel Berry was sitting in front of her mirror. She kept combing her hair with her bare hands. She has been doing this for the past ten minutes now. Everything simply  _had_  to be perfect for tonight.

 _J_ esse peeped inside her bedroom. He approached her with a smirk on his face. He placed a soft kiss on her shoulder as he inhaled her scent. 

“Baby, we need to get going if we want to make it to that date.” He murmured.

“I know. I know.” She sighed. She finally stops combing her hair and stares instead on her reflection. ”I just  _need_  tonight to be perfect.”

Jesse feels her body tense. He moves her around to face him. She looks so defeated and beaten down. “Hey, if you’re not feeling up to it, we could always reschedule.” Jesse assures, his touch makes Rachel soften.

“I’m sure Quinn would understand.” He feels Rachel’s body stiffen at the name.

“No… I want to go. I guess I’m just a little  _nervous_.”

“What’s there to be nervous about? I hope you’re not forgetting.. You’re a Broadway star.” He fingers her hair and she softens again. He kisses her on the cheek. She smiles. Jesse is right, what was she nervous about? She had achieved her highest ambitions that she set for herself ever since high school. Now she’s living in New York with a loving boyfriend that made sure to let her know that she was beautiful every single day.

Jesse smiles and takes her hand as she stands. “How long did you say when you last met her again?”

Rachel spins around to look at the mirror one more time.

“Two years.” she says as she fixes her hair.

+++

They arrive at the quaint restaurant they all agreed to meet at. If Rachel was nervous thirty minutes ago, she was sure as hell nervous  _now_. She scans the place as Jesse takes her coat and tells the host their names for the reservation they made a week earlier.

Rachel still hasn’t found what she was looking for when Jesse appears in front of her and offers her hand.

“Table two. They’re already here.” He says simply.

Rachel puts her arm round Jesse’s right hand. She exhales, her heart pounding faster than ever.

“Rachel, you’re still  nervous, aren’t you?”

Without a reply, Jesse stops and makes her face him. He puts his arms on her shoulders firmly. “What are you so worried about?”   

Rachel swallows. It was now or never. “Jesse I haven’t been completely honest with you.”

Jesse simply stared at her as she continued. “The reason why I’ve been so nervous today because tonight… we’re meeting my..  _ex_.”

He raises an eyebrow but before he could say a word, someone was calling for them.

“Rachel! I’m so glad to see you! It’s been so long.” The blonde facing them allowed.

Everything Rachel was trying to prepare for herself tonight was exactly what she was thinking of. Quinn Fabray wasn’t the beautiful cheerleader Rachel remembered in high school. For the woman that stood in front of her was simply  _not_ a teenager anymore. Quinn Fabray was far from beautiful, for  _beautiful_  is an understatement.

She was  _exquisite_. Her hair was tied up in a bun, with a few strands loose to get the elegance that she had. Her skin was so smooth and flawless, and her eyes could still pierce through Rachel’s heart. 

To Rachel’s dismay, A dark haired man followed Quinn, smiling shyly as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

“Qu…Quinn. How nice to see you again.” That wasn’t  _so_  bad. Rachel told herself. _Okay that was horrible_.

“How silly of me! Rachel, this is Blaine Anderson. We met in college. He’s a professor at Yale now.” She gestured to the man and Rachel tried to give him her most genuine smile although it came out pretty strained when they shook hands.

“Pleasure to meet you. Well, I don’t have to introduce you to my date, do I?” Rachel laughed at herself. How she wished she could get out of there. “Should we take our seats?”

They ordered their meals and the dinner was nice. Although Jesse kept staring Blaine down and the other was just too uncomfortable whenever Jesse was looking at him. Rachel kept looking away whenever Quinn caught her eye. Oh, if only they knew.

“So Rachel… how did you and Quinn become so close?” Blaine interjected.

“We’re both part of the glee club.” Quinn was the one to answer as Rachel looked away uncomfortably.

“Yeah.. glee.”Glee club?! That was it? Glee club? 

Rachel was having trouble breathing. She stood and tried to smile. “I… need some fresh air.”

Jesse moved and said, “Do you want me to come with you…?”

“No.. no. I’m fine.. I just…” She didn’t finish because she felt like she was making a fool of herself. Perhaps she was a fool to think that tonight was going to be okay. Perhaps, she never thought all these stupid emotions would come pouring in again once she saw her again. 

She faltered in the New York night as she tried to get some fresh air. Her head was swimming and there were just too  _many_  thoughts for her to think straight. 

She heard footsteps behind her. “I’m fine, Jesse. Go back inside.” She said before she turned around to see that it wasn’t Jesse that came out, but the object of her misery instead.

“Quinn.”

Quinn smiled and approached her. “What happened back there Rach?”

“Nothing. It was getting stuffy and I couldn’t…” Rachel’s prepared speech was stopped abruptly when she realized that… Quinn was holding her hand.

“Now tell me, what’s  _really_  bothering you?”

Rachel stared down at their hands. Quinn’s hand was still so soft to touch. She missed the way it felt on her. 

“Why did you ask me to meet you, Quinn?” 

Suddenly, Quinn was a loss for words. 

“I just… wanted to see you again.” She said finally. “You look really happy, Rachel. I… actually went to a few of your shows without telling you that I was there. It looks like you’ve got everything you wanted after all.”

Rachel looked at her, eyes tired.  _Not everything_.

“I’ve missed you, Rach.” She continued. “And if I could do everything differently…”

Rachel suddenly felt the need to move away from Quinn’s touch.

“Quinn, Don’t.”

“I’m sorry I walked away from you in high school. I’m sorry I told you that I didn’t want to be with you…”

“Stop it, Quinn.” She didn’t want to hear this. She felt so dizzy. Almost sick.

“I was a coward, Rachel. Everything I’ve done in my life for the past two years, I thought I could be happy without you… But I can’t…”

_So, breathe in so deep._

_Breathe me in, I’m yours to keep._

“Quinn, I have a boyfriend, that loves me… and  _cares_  for me.” 

It was then that Quinn began to cry. Immediately, Rachel wanted to swallow back her words. She couldn’t for the life of her withstand the pain of knowing that she was responsible for making those brilliant emerald eyes cry.

“I’m so sorry, Quinn.”

Quinn bites her lips and nods. She doesn’t look when Rachel walks away. She doesn’t know that Rachel has shed tears of her own.

+++

As Rachel lies at bed that night, too tired to explain to Jesse what happened earlier. Jesse didn’t persuade her into explaining any further.

“We could talk about it tomorrow.” He whispered as he flicked off the light and kissed her good night.

She didn’t sleep that night. In fact, there came a lot of nights that were sleepless from then on. But she ended up liking it that way. For she knew, as soon as she closed her eyes, the memories she’s been running away from would only haunt her. 

Memories of two girls in high school. Naive and in love.

 _  
_Remember me tonight, when you’re asleep.

 

**Author's Note:**

> title and lyrics from Fall For You by Secondhand Serenade


End file.
